For a long time the young Ophilion sat in the tranquility of the Antarious lounge, attempting to determine their own connection with reality, trying to come to terms with the implications of what they were being offered, endeavoring to filter through the experiences of their lives and locate their true feelings.
Orion stared out of one of the lounge windows at the Elen-Tron, sitting by the cliff on the crater floor. How incredible indeed that we are here in this amazing lounge in this amazing ship having just had the most amazing conversation of our lives! How incredible that we – Cholan and a Regala – have been offered this opportunity. Togan! Togan knew us! Arthur and Maria knew us! How can I say no to them, even though I have no idea what will happen? Yes, I'll do it. Whatever it is, I'll do it. "I'll do it." Orion heard himself say, and was surprised at the sound of his voice. Fel, Celli and Jenna turned their eyes to him.
"So will I," said Jenna soberly.
"Me too," said Celli.
"And me," Fel added without hesitation.
They all took turns looking into each other's eyes, visually confirming their decisions.
At that moment the door on the far end of the lounge again slid noiselessly open and Arthur and Maria entered. They walked slowly to the circle of couches and took their seats. Ophilion and Merenthaal studied each other's faces. "So," Arthur said, after half a minute, "have you made your decisions?"
Orion nodded. "I'm going to do it," He said. "I'll stay here."
Celli nodded as wel. "Me too."
"Yes," said Fel soberly, "I'll do it,"
All eyes turned to Jenna. She knew what she was going to say, but she hesitated. It was Arthur and Maria – the dimensional agents; they didn't fit her profile of the Merenthaal. They were too human – too natural. She took issue with their style; their casual almost flippant manner when they spoke of certain things. Their outbursts of laughter. They were brash and overconfident, then suddenly sober and cryptic. They were restrictive and inclusive in the same sentence. They concealed information and communicated telepathically with each other.
She was in awe at these people, but trust was not a word she would use to describe her feelings. However, she was not one to back out; besides, she had to know how this would end, and she wouldn't let her new friends - the com-kids – be the only ones to find out. The Regalan student understood that many of her preconceived notions were likely to change; but maybe that too was Destiny. "Okay," she said, relying on her dignity and sense of duty. "I'll do it."
Arthur and Maria were visibly moved. "Okay." Arthur nodded pensively. "Okay. I'm very happy to hear that."
The agents seemed relieved. What if we had chosen to go back? Orion thought. He realized there was a lot more that Arthur and Maria were not telling them at this time, whether it was because of the Code of the Merenthaal or for some other reason he could only guess, but he felt it as strongly as when he had first laid eyes on the sphere: it was real and it was his destiny to follow this path to whatever end it held for him.
"Now that you have made your choice," Arthur said, "we can go to the next step," he glanced around at them seriously. "It's time for you to meet the rest of the crewmembers of the Antarious."
The Ophilions' eyes widened. They were entering the world of the Merenthaal, now. They suddenly had the peculiar feeling that if they could transport themselves back home in a flash, they would seriously consider it. There was too much intensity here; too much responsibility. They were being drawn into a community – a kind of military unit. Everything was moving too fast – they were too young, too inexperienced, and yet, there was something about these two aliens that made them want to stay, even though they hadn't a clue what they would eventually be asked to do.
"Before we invite them in," Maria said, "we will tell you something about them. The Merenthaal – what you know as dimensional agents – are divided into two general categories: the Almaron, of whom we are part, and the Meloria. Almaron means: 'Keepers of Balance'. All of us who are Almaron are human – like you. All of us have lived mortal lives on one of the settled worlds in our galaxy. All of us have passed difficult examinations and trials in order to earn our place in these ranks. We must follow strict laws and rules which are dictated by the Galactic Court and prescribed in the Code of the Merenthaal.
"On our ship there are four of us that are Almaron, the other thirty-three are Meloria. (*) Meloria means: 'Messenger of Power.' The Meloria are not human. Although they look human most of the time they also have a form of their true nature which few mortals ever see. In fact, each of you has seen one or some of the Meloria, in human form, at one time or another, and you didn't even realize it."
A scene flashed into Orion's head; something that had happened two years in the past. He was on a mag-way train coming home from work. He had had a particularly bad day and was feeling the weight of life more than usual. He saw someone on the other side of the packed wagon; he was looking straight at him. His eyes gave Orion a sudden rush of hope – he had no idea why. Somehow this stranger lived on another plane of existence; he was unaffected by the dismal surroundings and permanent pessimism of the mag-way crowd; the pessimism that had permeated the very metallic alloy of the wagon and the mineral blocks the stations were made of.
Orion had held his gaze for what seemed like a whole minute. The stranger never blinked nor did his expression change, but through his eyes he communicated brilliant ideas that Orion's mind could not fully comprehend at that time. Suddenly, his gaze became too intense and Orion looked to the floor, his eyes watering. He was suddenly aware of the movement of the train and the smell of the after-work crowd packed closely around him. He quickly looked back to where the stranger had been standing but he was no longer there.
Orion pondered this strange encounter until the train glided into his station. He quickly pushed his way to the doors before they closed and he would be forced to spend extra time on this 'human garbage compactor' looping back around to his station on yet another train. That was the last he had thought about that experience. It was so foreign, and the emotions connected with it so unfamiliar that he could hardly relate to it – and there was no need to – so his brain filtered it from his active memory and he moved on through the exit tunnel along with the masses of humanity who saw nothing but the pavement in front of them, and at that moment that was all Orion saw as well.
Arthur looked into his eyes and Orion knew that he knew, although it wasn't Arthur he had seen. Now that he remembered the encounter he realized that the man on the mag-train wasn't even human – that's what was so strange about him. He wasn't human – he was something else – something more and something less than human – he could understand that now, here aboard the Antarious. He could understand many things now. What might he understand tomorrow?
"The Melorian thought process is different than ours," Arthur went on without a pause – Orion's memory having taken a fraction of a second. "They are decisive and can move very quickly when they need to. They are powerful warriors; protectors of humankind. Yet, though they are impressive beings, they are relatable."
Maria and Arthur stood and motioned for the Ophilion to follow them out of the circle of couches where they had been sitting to where they were facing the door which led to the interior of the ship. "And so, without further ado," Maria announced "we present to you the crewmembers of the Antarious."
The young Ophilion waited, eyes glued to the door, wondering how they would relate to the rest of the agents and how the agents might accept them. The door slid silently open and there stood two people who looked very much like Arthur and Maria. It was impossible to tell their age, although physically they looked to be in the prime of life – maybe in their thirtieth cenro, or fortieth. Their apparel was similar to that which Arthur and Maria wore: flowing comfortable fabric in various earthy hues.
The female was petite, slender and shapely, approximating Celli in height. Her skin tone was darker than Arthur's. Her hair fell in a silky black cascade that reached her waist. Her eyes were warm brown and slanted slightly upward. Like Maria's and Arthur's, they sparkled mystically with knowledge and experience and secrets and power. She was strikingly beautiful in every way. As they looked into her eyes they sensed her understanding of them. There was no need to hide anything from her.
The male was very well built; taller and stronger-looking than Arthur. His dark-brown wavy hair fell to his shoulders on the sides and was drawn together in the back. His eye color matched his hair. His skin was a medium brown – a color familiar to the Ophilion. Both girls immediately thought him very attractive. He smiled and bowed. Their service medallions on the outside of their apparel distinguished them as Almaron and officers of the Merenthaal.
"I introduce to you: Chi and Miguel," Maria announced, "members of the Almaron and commanding crewmembers of the Antarious
The two new Merenthaal agents walked forward till they stood in front of the young Ophilion. "It's an honor to meet you." Miguel said, reaching his hands out to Jenna and Fel who were closest to him. The Ophilion involuntarily took his hands. Tactile contact seemed to be important for these aliens.
Chi reached out and took Orion and Celli's hands. "So, here we are," She said. Her voice was soft but they could feel the power in her touch – she was a lethal weapon as well as a true friend. The Merenthaal were in complete control of their minds, bodies and their environment. Their self-assurance would have been unnerving if it were not for their friendly nature and great interest in the apprehensive young people. Now that the teenagers had made their decision to stay on the Antarious they were being pulled into their community, one step at a time.
Instead of conversing further, Chi and Miguel stood aside as Maria prepared to introduce the rest of the crew. "I now present to you: the Meloria." In the next few seconds a host of fantastic beings slowly entered the spacious lounge and stood in a loose group facing the Ophilion.
The teenagers were rooted to the floor. These were the Meloria. They were not human, that was clear to them now. Orion's eyes were drawn to a pair of familiar eyes among the thirty-three – these were the eyes he had seen. The Meloria agent smiled at him and winked. His face was ruggedly handsome; he was of medium build, lighter skin tone and dressed in dark clothing that allowed for maximum agility. His dark-blond hair was worn short - his eyes had a peculiar iridescent quality. "This is Kylor," Maria introduced the Melorian agent Orion had recognized. Kylor's smile widened as he looked them over as a sports coach might evaluate new recruits.
"And this is Cathandra." Maria gestured towards a female. Cathandra was the most petite among them, but her size seemed to have no bearing on her physical abilities. She smiled at them with confidence and care. Her skin was a creamy white in contrast with her long, feathered hair which was raven black and her eyes which were deep blue. Her features were fine and perfectly symmetrical, like those of a porcelain doll. Her attire complemented her attractive figure, and there was something else about her that none of the Ophilion could tell – a hidden quality that would be revealed in the future, perhaps. Cathandra connected with each of them by looking deeply into their eyes one by one. Satisfied, she smiled and nodded.
Maria continued her introduction. "This is Galian," she extended her arm towards the largest crewmember. He was a head taller than Miguel; wide and muscular. He looked capable of doing serious damage to anyone or anything that might oppose him. Galian's skin was a dark, rich brown and his eyes crystal green. His hair was braided similar to Maria's and hung around his head intertwined with crystal beads. He had a very kind smile. He seemed to be something of a gentle giant, the Ophilion thought, and hoped. But in his crystal green eyes they could sense lethal power as well as kindness.
The fourth Meloria Maria introduced was a female who seemed to be the embodiment of fitness and health. "This is Takea," Maria said. Takea's skin was a light brown tone and her eyes were almond shaped. She wore tight fitting clothes that complimented her athletic figure. She was one of the tallest females – very beautiful, very graceful, as all of the Merenthaal were.
There were no barriers between the Meloria and the Ophilion that required time to melt down – no awkward sensations or apprehension. It was very easy to look them in the eye. The Meloria were what they were, hiding nothing, and they accepted the teenagers completely.
The Ophilion and the Meloria studied each other for ten seconds, then Orion made a step towards them at which the other three Ophilion followed, slowly. Kylor, Cathandra, Galian and Takea walked slowly forward to meet them. In a few seconds they stood a meter apart. Orion slowly reached out his hand which Kylor eagerly took into his. Fel reached out and Galian held his hand firmly. The powerful Takea took Jenna's hand and Cathandra reached out for Celli.
They remained in this fashion for some time, hand in hand, the Ophilion taking in the power and warmth these alien beings transmitted. Arthur walked up behind the young people and put his hands on two of their shoulders. "So, here we are at last," he said. "After all these cenro, here we are." He smiled at the other agents. "What are we waiting for?" his voice began to rise in volume, then he called out: "Let us revel!"
(* Meloria is pronounced: mel-OR-iah)